Brush fires roar through Crossroads

Howard County Volunteer Fire Battalion Chief Terry Rumpff burns off an area of brush and cedar trees during a fire Wednesday afternoon on Highway 818 approximately a quarter-mile from Elbow Elementary. More than 300 acres were destroyed by the wildfire. (Courtesy photo/Tommy Sullivan)

Howard County volunteer firefighters had their hands full Wednesday, as a pair of wildfires threatened vast amounts of the Crossroads area.

The first fire, reported at approximately 12:50 p.m. near Glasscock County on Highway 821, destroyed more than 350 acres, according to Volunteer Fire Chief Tommy Sullivan.

“Originally, the firefighters from Glassock County contacted us to see if we would take care of it. Luckily, we were already there,” Sullivan said. “The fire started near a bank of electrical transformers in an area where there are heavy amounts of cedar trees, which don't just catch fire, but actually blow up, reaching temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees.”

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